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It was only pregame warmups, but Kyle Vierck could tell Adolfo Mora was ready to play.

The
Columbia Basin College men’s soccer coach knew he would have to rely on
some strong bench play against NWAACC rival Walla Walla, but it was
Mora, a freshman reserve defender, who came up with the biggest play of
all in a 1-1 tie against the Warriors on Saturday in Pasco.

Mora, a
former Davis standout, scored the tying goal in the 73rd minute,
knocking in a rebound after Walla Walla goalkeeper Daniel Romero failed
to corral a hard cross from Hawks foward Jesse Esquivel.

“I was
pretty much following the ball,” said Mora, who was decked head-to-toe
in dirt and grass stains after the game. “I was ready to play. It’s a
rivalry game, and they’re a great team.”

Vierck praised his bench
play after the rainy conditions made it tough for the Hawks (11-5-3
overall, 6-4-2 NWAACC) starters to mount a strong attack on a slick
field.

Walla
Walla took a 1-0 lead in the 49th minute when former Richland standout
Perry McNamar sent a hard cross in from the right wing, and midfielder
Ivan Chamorro charged in from the top of the box to head the ball past
Hawks keeper Antonio Gonzalez.

“We got comfortable. Maybe a
little too comfortable. We sat in on defense and gave them a chance to
come back on us,” Bodnar said.

Walla Walla outshot CBC 19-14, but
both teams had a handful of solid chances on goal. The Warriors held
the edge on possession, earning eight corner kicks — six of them in the
second half.